The Ghost Files Volume 3By Apryl BakerSummary from Goodreads:One, two, the ghosts are coming for you…
Three, four, better salt your door…
Five, six, death and hatred mix…
Seven, eight, help will come too late…
Nine, ten, never reap again…Seventeen year old, Mattie Hathaway, has enough on her plate without having to deal with the latest teenage ghost drama. The ghosts of eight murdered girls are out for her blood. They blame Mattie for their deaths. She has to figure out what happened to them before they make sure she ends up just like them…dead and angry.Not only that, but she has to face the greatest fear of her young life, the death of someone she loves. Can she let nature take its course or will she interfere and cause the balance of life and death to spiral out of control?She’s out of time, and doesn’t know if she should trust Silas, the demon who has taken a very disturbing interest in her or her father, a man just as evil as Silas. Either way, she has to make a choice. But what will it cost her and those she loves?

"So, what is Steampunk?" the bemused
member of public asks, with wide eyes and the hint of a childish smile as they
survey my stall and my costume. "Basically, think of the Victorian
science- fiction of Jules Verne and the English love of tea… (I'm struggling as
I try to put into words this many-faceted concept whilst keeping an eye on my
stall)…some people love to dress up and create costumes and characters, or
write stories, or make amazing contraptions or create Steampunk-inspired music.
It's a lot of fun!"

It is much easier to experience Steampunk than to try and explain it, though
there are some eloquent descriptions and wonderful resources out there, such as
the Airship Ambassador blog and the Brass Goggles forum. There are conventions
and events held internationally where one can take part or simply observe.
However, just over three years ago, I hadn't really been all that aware of
Steampunk.

I've been a LRPer (larper, Live Roleplayer) for a good twenty years, so I was
used to creating a character and costume to go with it, mainly sourced from
local charity shops. I trained as a professional model maker and have a degree
in Design Representation, so that stood me in good stead when making props.

It was only when I'd become a mum and was starting to get back to being
self-employed, running my holistic therapy practice from home, that my brother
Matt moved nearby and started his Etsy shop. He is also an experienced model
maker and is the talented creator of www.etsy.com/shop/ArcaneArmoury.
He had left a career in London and started his Sci-fi and Steampunk inspired
shop. Between him and a friend I was introduced to this vaguely familiar genre
as an entity in it's own right. Inspired by the visual aesthetic, I began to
put a costume together. The idea of an airship navigator came to me, but being
female, she'd be a 'navigatrix'. This was an odd experience as, unlike Live
Roleplay, I wasn't using the guidance of a rulebook nor doing it to
specifically attend any event…but it felt right and I was compelled to create!
So, I made a hairclip and gloves, asked Matt if I could sell the like in his
shop (knowing nothing of Etsy at the time, either) and before I knew it, I had created
an Etsy shop. You can read more about that here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheNavigatrix/about

Matt and I have now traded twice at Europe's largest Steampunk convention,
Weekend at the Asylum, held annually in Lincoln, UK and hope to again this
year. The eclectic indoor and outdoor market is a curated one and includes
Steampunk costume, props, jewellery, accessories, comics, books, antiques and
oddments, art and even Steampunk sweets! (I always make a beeline for Empire
Edibles at some point!) http://steampunk.synthasite.com/
(https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EmpireEdibles)

Our latest trading adventure was at the nearby Nene Valley Railway, where we
attended 'STOAT' - Steampunk STamford On A Train. We'd travelled to Stamford
last year, all dressed up in our Steampunk outfits on the bus. We'd heard about
the event too late to apply to trade but it was so local that we decided to go
and mingle, peruse and of course, have tea and scones. Well, even in a corset
one still has room for tea. We met the organiser, Lorna of FellFromGrace - yes,
another Etsy shop! - and I secured a collaborative photoshoot with Prior
Attire. So, this year, armed with beautiful photos, new tribal-steam inspired
pieces from my Aether Nomad range and my dear brother Matt (armed with prop
weaponry and a stunning Steampunk guitar), we enjoyed a lovely weekend sheltered
from the wind and rain. The company was charming! I happened to turn 40 on the
Sunday and Matt and I were joined by my family, aka 'Professor Noodles, Mr.
M.(echanically) C. (ivilised) Norbert (dwarf pygmy gorilla) and 'The Scamp'.
Mr. Norbert won first prize in the Steampunk Pet competition and there were
many other amusements aside from the market on the train. Members of the public
could dress up Steampunk-style at the 'Photo booth'. There were facial hair,
hat and corset limbo contests, tea-duelling (which involves the precarious
dunking of biscuits), music, stories, magic shows and brolly fencing. The event
was topped off with a raffle in which my cogling (the word for a Steampunk
child) was thrilled to win a pair of small gloves. I love the way in which
Steampunk is so age-inclusive. You can see whole families of three generations
dressed up in their Steamfinery!

This year has seen the first global event in celebration of the friendships and
common interests that Steampunks find together, no matter what language they
speak. Initiated by Kevin Steil of the Airship Ambassador blog, the event in
February entitled 'Steampunk Hands around the World', attracted around 100
hosts and gave rise to some wonderful international collaborations, magazine articles,
music and video shares and many new friends were made. I was contacted by 'Heyk
Al Khemeti' (also known as the model Kymaris) in France. I shared the fact that
often, as I create pieces, little snippets of story pop into my head which then
find their way into the item descriptions.

I'm eager to write the next part! I decided to open up the concept of the
Aether Nomad and basically write a character type for Steampunk that anyone is
welcome to contribute to. I invited some fellow artists and Designers to take
up the concept, along with some enthusiastic Participants and we have
started a private Facebook group to set some basic guidelines and help others
develop their ideas. All I'm asking for in return is a little recognition
-'From an idea by The Navigatrix' and maybe a shop link. If you are interested in
the idea of tribal Steampunk, you can reach me through my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Navigatrix-Steampunk-inspired-Original-Crafts/239246576161938

So, what is Steampunk? To me the concept is beautifully demonstrated by the
image of the cogwheels that are so prevalent. Many small parts, fitting
together harmoniously to create something that moves, develops and reaches ever
higher dimensions! Steampunk is storytelling, community and invention. It is a
recognition of our history and a re-imagining of the past, in such a way as to
become a reflection of the current human experience. Is that not that art?

Before I explain what Steampunk
means to me as an author, it will be helpful to get a broad understanding of
the term from what you would find if you did a google search on the topic. I've
also included some pictures of the genre to start sparking your imagination.

First Steampunk defined by Goodreads:

"Steampunk is a subgenre of
speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or
quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It includes fiction with science
fiction, fantasy or horror themes. It is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative
fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term
denotes works set in an era or world where STEAM POWER is still widely
used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with
prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional
technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules
Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an
earlier date."

Second Steampunk defined by Urban Dictionary:

"Steampunk is a subgenre of
speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or
quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan
"What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner." It
includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes."

Right, so now that you have all the
technical terms for Steampunk committed to memory let me tell you what the term
means to myself as an author. Steampunk to me is an opportunity to tell or
retell any story in a brand new setting. It's the idea of what could have been
in the past if only a few things had happened differently. It is the era where
past, present and future all meet. It's the time where all things are possible
both realized and yet to be realized. By that I mean it would be absolutely
feasible to have your hero or heroine riding into battle on a horse, carrying a
futuristic blaster, wearing a leather jacket.

Steampunk is a time when anything
can happen. As a writer this excites me to no end. Even now as I'm writing this
blog I have a huge cheshire grin as I am reminded of the absolute freedom this
genre brings. As the pictures show above Steampunk is a way to re-imagine
everything we thought we knew in exciting and brilliant ways.

If you find yourself looking for a
specific example on the topic or would like to read a book set in the Steampunk
universe you can read the synopsis of my latest novel Steam and Shadows
by clicking on the link below.